Wither
by Merlinfan26
Summary: Merlin's been missing for 5 years. For 5 years Arthur has not smiled or slept. And for 5 years Merlin had been put into an isolated prison, unable to talk or to touch anyone. Until one day a stranger helps him escape. A stranger with that he never thought he'd meet. Can this person be trusted, or will they lead Merlin to his doom?
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for not updating my fanfiction earlier! School and RL responsibilities had me incredibly busy,and always exhausted. But now that I am done with school I have more time to update my fics! But keep in mind RL is really, really busy now so I might not have as much time as I used to with updating my fics. In order to make up for lack of fanfiction, creating a brand new story right now! :)**

**Prologue**

It had been 5 years since Merlin's disappearance. 5 years since Arthur Pendragon smiled, or slept without having nightmares.

5 years since the kingdom was a happy place. Gwaine was constantly drunk, to the point where he sometimes fell asleep at the pub. And the other knights would have to stop him from going out into the woods to search for Merlin when he was wasted on ale.

He blamed himself for what had happened to Merlin. They all blamed themselves, none more than Arthur, though.

Arthur also hated himself for giving up on the search, but after a year and a half even he had to admit it was dangerous for Camelot to use his whole army constantly to search for one man.

Merlin would not have wanted that.

Merlin.

The name was now unspoken, forbidden to be said. Arthur couldn't bare to hear it, so he banned that name from ever being spoken in front of him. Gaius was the one who had the hardest time to remember not to utter Merlin's name in the presence of Arthur.

In the past 5 years the old physician had aged, and he had grown incredibly weak Gwen had insisted that he move into the castle. She did not want him alone, with no one to look after him. She wanted to look after him, as a way of respecting what Merlin would have wanted. The tole of losing Merlin to such an unknown fate was almost too much for the old wizard.

But Gwen nursed him back to health when he was on his death bed during the first year when Merlin had gone missing.

She was still hoping Merlin would be found and all would be restored.

5 years later she still hoped for that miracle. That miracle that would make everything better. She was just more realistic about that hope. However, she knew how important it was not to lose hope.

She also prayed that her husband would return to her, the one she had fallen in love with.

But she had a feeling that would only happen if Merlin was found.

Merlin.

"Wherever you are, Merlin," she whispered as she got dinner ready for Gaius. She always insisted on cooking it herself. "Please, come back to us. Arthur misses you so. Everyone does." A tear threatened to escape, but she forced her composure to remain stoic. A queen was not allowed to cry, and neither was her king. "Please, don't give up hope," she begged quietly. "Please,Merlin...come home."

* * *

Merlin laid on his cold hard cell floor. It had been 5 years. 1826.21 days. 1826.21 days since he had contact with someone, spoken to them, or be touched by them. And by being touched, it would be a beating. But at least that was physical contact. A beating was almost better than this kind of dark isolation.

It had been 1826.21 days since he had seen sunlight, or felt a breeze.

5 years of staring into a bleak oblivion, of almost forgetting his own name.

He would say it over and over again, and his friends from Camelot, too.

_"Arthur, Gaius, Gwen, Gwaine, Leon, Elyan, Percival."_

He would mutter those names over and over, in order not to forget them.

"Mother," he would add as an afterthought. "Father." He would replay Balinor's death scene, and Hunith telling him goodbye as a way to remember their faces.

He used a piece of stick to carve in their names.

_"Arthur, Gaius, Gwen, Gwaine, Leon, ELyan, Percival."_

Another name entered his mind.

"Morgana." He sketched that in as well, not wanting to forget _anyone _from his past.

Arthur.

How often he had thought of that young blond king,the one he was supposed to protect.

He scoffed at that.

How could he protect Arthur when he could barely remember how to use magic?

He didn't know how his captors did it, but they slowly tampered with his memory enough of him to forget the most basic spells.

When he wasn't busy chanting those names he would chant, and sketch in, spells.

He had to learn magic for the first time ever. They took the very core of him and tore it into half and now he had to put it together again.

If he had the strength for it.

Gods, did he feel weak now.

So weak he sometimes couldn't open his eyes.

But he had to.

He would not die there.

He would not die in that cell.

Merlin would escape, no matter what happened.

He would not give _them _the pleasure of him rotting to death.

He would escape and go back to Camelot.

He closed his eyes and hummed a lullaby his mother used to sing to him.

And when he closed his eyes and images of his friends flashed before him.

That was the end of that day. Soon he'll open his eyes and do nothing all over again.

Soon he'll have to escape, or else he would wither away in there.

_Soon._

Suddenly a voice whispered in the darkness around him, startling him.

He had not heard a voice in so long he almost forgot what a voice sounded like.

The voice whispered a name he had forgotten about, a name he never thought he'd hear again.

_"Emyr_s"

And with that his cell door slowly opened...

**Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am SO sorry for the lack of updates in amll my Merlin stories! They have not been forgotten! For about 5 months my life was insasnely busy for various reasons, but now i've just been going through some depression/writer's block. But I'm trying to get back into writing again, so please forgive me for the lack of updates! Again, really sorry! none of my stories are forgetten, and I plan on updating all of them!  
**

Merlin stared at the door that had swung open and at the voice that whispered a name few knew. He hesitated, as fear held him back. But desperation won as he struggled to stand, his body weak from malnutrition and the previous beatings. He would hate himself for missing a chance of escape out of mere fear.

"Emyrs..."the voice almost taunted him with that name. He stood at the doorway and stared down at the hallway. There were no guards. There was no need for them. Everyone knew the prison was like a maze unless you knew your way out. That many prisoners have died trying to escape.

He swallowed as he paused again. If he tried to escape he would surely get lost and die , alone in the corriders. But even that was better than hanging back and doing nothing. Better than letting them win by using fear.

The name cointinued to call him, leading him down a dark hallway, leading him further into darkness.

Dazed he followed, his his body controlled, until he stumbled into the daylight.

Merlin gasped as he blinked and looked around. He was free...He was under the sky again, free from the dakrness and the cave cells that had consumed him for so many years.

He continued to stand there,blinking, as he swallowed in his new surroundings, still confused on how he was able to escape without getting lost.

"Hello Emrys." Finally, a face that belongs to the voice.

But when he stared at the face a part of him wondered if it was better he was still in that dark cave of a cell. If he was still captured, for the face that belonged to the voice was none other than Morgana Pendragon...

* * *

Arthur's face was stoic was he concentrated on his sword fighting. The knights were fully concentrated on the practice also. Once this time of day would be filled with laughter and jest amonsgt Arthur and his men, but now there were no smiles or jokes on the training field, just buisness.

In fact, there were hardly any smiles and jokes anywhere. Nothing seemed amusing these days, just cold and bleak.

Arthur focused on Gwaine who was his opposing end.

In his mind he pictured a battlefield.

Suddenly his mind flashed to THE battlefield. The one where Merlin had gotten injured, and then vanished.

Anger filled him as he fought with Gwaine. More anger, which travelled to his hands-to his sword.

He kept on seeing Merlin's face.

Merlin yelling at Arthur to look out.

Merlin yelling in anguish.

Merlin suddenly vanishing, clearly from some sort of magic.

Merlin gone.

"Sire!" Leon's voice was pleading. "Sire! Stop!

He suddenly snapped back to reality and stared in horror as his sword was inches away from Gwaine's face, who had fallen during what had turned into a beating.

Arthur back up and let his sword drop as Elyan helped Gwaine to his feet.

"Gwaine...I..."

Gwaine's breathing was quick asd heavy.

"Don't." Gwaine shook his head. He stared at Arthur, almost darkly but with pity and sorrow. "I knew it," he finally whispered.

Arthur stared back at him.

"Knew what?"

"You blame me for what happened to Merlin."

"Gwaine!" Percival tried to remind him of the rule on saying Merlin's name, but Arthur shook his head.

"No, I don't."

"Oh please," scoffed Gwaine. "I blame myself. I was the one in charge of guarding him! I was supposed to protect him! He had no weapon! He was supposed to stay behind me the whole time..."

"No weapon could have prevented the type of magic that was used to take Merlin away," Arthur admonished. But a part of him, deep inside, wondered...did he blame Gwaine?Did the part of him that wanted to blame someone blame him? The thought made him sick. If he should blame anyone, it was himself, and he said so.

It was Gwaine's turn to shake his head.

"I'd be the first one to tell you, if it was your fault, Arthur, and you know it."

"What you said was true, though," protested Arthur. "He had no weapon. He had no buisness being part of the battle. I should have given him something to defend himself."

"We weren't prepared," argued Leon. "It wasn't like we were heading out for a fight. We were ambushed."

"Still..."Arthur's voice trailed off. "He should have had SOMETHING."

Silenced filled the arena.

Both men stood there, and continued to breathe heavily.

"Gwaine," Arthur finally managed to say. "I don't blame you."

Gwaine swallowed and stared at the young king.

"But I do."

WIthout another word, and ignoring everyone, he stormed off into the woods leaving Arthur alone with his guilt

**I'm sorry for it being so short! But the next ones will be longer! **


End file.
